What the Future Holds
by RegulusBlackIsAHero
Summary: Three of the Marauders wake up in a locked room. They have no idea how they got there or why. When more people – even enemies – appear, they find a book. They are going to read it when another mysterious girl appears. She claims to be from the future and says that they must read all the books.
1. Prolouge

"Prongs! Padfoot! Wake up!" Sirius heard the yell and instantly knew it was Moony, but why was he calling them? Today was the first day of the Christmas holidays. He and Prongs had to stay at Hogwarts this Christmas because Prongs' parents – his parents – were busy with work from the Order of the Phoenix. Moony had elected to stay, too, so he could keep them company. Wormy's parents had wanted him to come home with them, so he hadn't stayed.

"Go away, Remus," he muttered. Suddenly, a jet of icy water enveloped him. He jerked his eyes open and jumped up, yelling,

"What the hell, Remus!" Moony wasn't paying attention. He had already turned to Prongs and had done the same thing. Looking around, it took him only a second to realize he wasn't in the dorm. In fact, this place didn't look like Hogwarts at all. How had they got here? James had jumped out of his bed, yelling, but neither of the two other boys cared. Prongs soon realized why they had been acting like that.

Padfoot raced over to the door and tried it. It was locked, of course. When was anything ever easy? All three boys reached for their wands simultaneously, only to realize they weren't there. What had happened? Their wands were gone; they had no idea where they were… This was a mess.

"Prongs, Moony? Do either of you know what happened?" Sirius said slowly, trying to stay calm.

"No idea, Sirius," Remus said, his eyes scanning the room.

"I don't know, Pads," Prongs replied. Moony moved around the room, looking for anything to give them a clue of what had happened. There wasn't much. Two sofas and a couple plushy armchairs were centered in the room. There was a book sitting on the armchair. Moony picked it up and froze. Seeing his reaction, the two Marauders rushed over just as Remus asked,

"James, do you have a relative named Harry?" Surprised by the apparently random question, Prongs frowned before answering,

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"Look at the title of this book," Moony said, pushing it into Prong's hand. Padfoot looked over his shoulder at the book. It was titled 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'.

"Let's read it!" Sirius exclaimed. James chuckled at the thought of Sirius willingly reading a book. Padfoot realized what he was thinking and defended himself,

"I read every once in the while! Just not while I have any other things to do…" Moony snorted,

"Yeah, like breathing." Sirius grinned back, unfazed by the comment.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Three people thudded to the floor. All three leapt to their feet, reaching for their wands. None of them had a wand with them. The three Marauders stared at the new company, and it took them a minute to realize one was Severus Snape, the other was Lily Evans, and the third was Regulus Black.

"What happened?" Lily demanded, glancing wildly around. The two Slytherins were glaring at the three Marauders. "Potter! Did you do this!"

"No!" James defended, "All three of us just woke up in here!" Suddenly Moony gasped as another flash of light happened, and a small, slight red-headed girl appeared. She seemed to be around Regulus' age, so a year younger than the Marauders.

"Who are you?" Snape demanded, narrowing his eyes at the newcomer.

"Call me Luna," the girl said cheerfully, not looking surprised, "Sorry 'bout taking you out of Hogwarts."

"W – what do you mean? We aren't in Hogwarts?" Remus questioned. Luna shook her head in an excited manner,

"Nope but don't worry, you'll go back eventually. First, however, you have to read a few books."

"And why do we have to do that?" James inquired, sounding slightly harsh. It was clear he was completely shocked.

"Because they're from the future, and I was sent here to help you change it. Check the publish date on the book if you don't believe me." Moony picked up the book and checked the date before exclaiming,

"Sweet Merlin's underwear! 1997." Luna stifled a giggle while the other's stared in shock at her and the book.

"I don't believe you," Snape declared firmly.

"Oh really?" Luna asked, smirking evilly, "You are a half-blood and go by the title Half-Blood Prince because you are proud to be half a Prince. Your father hates magic and you. In your fifth year you called Lily a mudblood and aren't friends anymore. Also in your fifth year, Sirius tells you how to get under the willow, and James has to save you from a werewolf under it." Snape's expression turned from impassive to angry as she stated half the facts from his life. He nodded curtly at her, telling her that he did believe her.

"Okay!" she said with a smile, "Let's start reading!" She handed the book to Sirius, who groaned,

"Why do I have to read it?" Lily smacked him lightly on the shoulder and she said,

"Just read it!"


	2. Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived

**ONE-THE BOY WHO LIVED. **

**Mr. And Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. **

"That's stupid!" James exclaimed, "Who wants to be normal!"

"Not everyone wants to be like you, Potter," Snape scoffed.

"Look! He complemented you! He said people want to be like you, Prongs!" Sirius cried out.

"Sirius! Read!" Moony ordered.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

"What are drills?" James asked, confused.

"Don't be a dunderhead, Potter," Snape reprimanded.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors. **

"I wonder who these people are…" Regulus said thoughtfully.

"The name Dursley sounds familiar," Lily said, frowning.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. **

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"Hey! My family's better than you are!" James exclaimed. Suddenly, Lily went pale.

"What, Lils?" Remus asked, noticing the change in her stance.

"My sister is dating a Dursley. You don't think…"

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister,**

"I marry Lily! I marry Lily! I marry Lily! I marr- Ow!" James sang, doing some strange sort of happy dance. Moony had grabbed the book from Sirius' lap and smacked James with it.

**but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. **

"Ain't that the truth!" Sirius exclaimed.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. **

"Lily, as soon as we get married, we are visiting your sister!"

**The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too,**

"Aw!" Lily breathed, despite her disbelief over marrying James

**but they had never even seen him. **

"I don't want you to see him!" James vowed

**This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"Why not! What's wrong with my son!" Lily yelled.

"It's not your son, Lily, it's them," Remus explained, looking angry.

**When Mr. And Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke, " chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. **

"They think that's funny!" Regulus said, his voice sharp with disbelief, "If either of us did that, Mother would-" Regulus was cut off by Sirius,

"No one cares what that hag would do!"

**He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map. **

"Something tells me that's not a cat."

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. **

**As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. **

"I'm confused," Sirius said, "What's weird about that?"

"You're always confused, Black," Severus said.

**He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something... Yes, that would be it. **

"That makes no sense whatsoever," Regulus said, "Why would wizards be collecting muggle money?"

"You know, it's times like these that I can tell you're related to Sirius," Lily said thoughtfully. Regulus frowned, looking slightly peeved off at that comment and asked,

"Why's that?"

"Only Sirius would ask something that stupid. The Dursleys have no idea that these people are wizards."

"Shut up!" Regulus muttered, looking slightly embarrassed.

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed openmouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. **

"We're usually more careful," Severus said with a light frown.

**Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. **

"He sure does like yelling," James snickered.

"So does Sirius. You should have heard him with mother," Regulus said darkly.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs**

"What! The universe has just been altered!" Sirius exclaimed, ignoring Remus' glare.

**and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

"It's been set right again," Sirius said.

"Just read, Sirius!"

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's.**

**He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch was whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying. "The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry"**

"We're famous! We're famous!" James began to chant, ducking when Moony threw the book at him.

"Not for a good reason," Luna said darkly. Everyone jumped; they had forgotten she was there.

"You've been quiet," Sirius observed.

"No freaking duh! Thank you, Captain Obvious!"

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm!" Sirius said brightly.

"What-?" Luna said, looking lost. Sirius started to read before she could finish.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead.**

"He died! Yes! The world is a better place!"

**Fear flooded him. **

**He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... No, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry.**

"That's low, Dursley. Even for you," Lily snapped.

"You've met him?" James asked.

"Unfortunately," Lily snarled

**He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...**

"A sister like what?" Remus said, dangerously quiet.

**But all the same, those people in cloaks... He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"Poor soul," Sirius said, wiping away an invisible tear.

**"Sorry, " he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day! **

"Voldemort!" Sirius exclaimed, interrupting himself. He ignored the way Regulus flinched. Remus noted how Regulus' left arm had seemed to twitch as Voldemort's name was spoken. He couldn't be a…

**"And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off. Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. **

**He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination. **

"How does anyone not approve of imagination!" James yelled.

"Yeah! How would we survive all these classes without it?" Moony frowned at Sirius and replied,

"You'd survive without melting your cauldron down or accidently transfiguring your foot into a flower or –"

"Okay! I get it!" Sirius said, eager to make Moony stop listing off his many embarrassing moments.

"Or that time when you started drooling in History of Magic because you were thinking about you girl friend at the time."

Regulus snickered and Severus snorted.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood -was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes. "Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. **

"That is definitely Minnie," James stated.

"What other cat looks stern?" Regulus noted. All three Marauders shivered at the thought of Minnie's stern look.

**Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. **

"Are you as stupid as you sound?" Severus wondered

"Oh no," Lily chided, "He's worse."

**Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").**

"And they're proud of that?" Severus asked, disgusted.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern. " The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?" "Well, Ted, "**

"You don't think it's Ted Tonks?" Regulus asked.

"Who's that?" Lily asked confused.

"Oh Merlin! It's finally happened!" Sirius yelled sharply.

"What you prat!" Lily yelled back.

"We've confused Lily Evans! We've confused Lily Evans!" Sirius chanted

"Git!" Lily said, exasperated.

"Ted married our cousin, Andromeda," Regulus said smiling.

**said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight. **

**"Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters... **

"Looks like you're still causing mayhem outside of Hogwarts, Prongsie," Sirius said. James laughed.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?" As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister. **

"I think we're going to have to visit your sister, Lils," Remus said, seriously.

**"No, " she said sharply. "Why?" "Funny stuff on the news, " Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... Shooting stars... And there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today... ""So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley. "Well, I just thought... Maybe... It was something to do with... You know... Her crowd.**

"Her crowd. Her crowd! Seriously!" Severus exclaimed.

**"Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter. " He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son -he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?" "I suppose so, " said Mrs. Dursley stiffly. "What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?" "Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me. ""Oh, yes, " said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree. "**

"I happen to like that name," Lily huffed.

"Same," James said with a smile.

"It's better than if you named him after Jamsiepoo, here," Sirius said. James scowled at the nickname.

"I wouldn't be talking, Siripoo," Regulus said with a chuckle. Prongs and Moony exchanged wicked glances at the nickname.

"How did you hear about that?" Sirius asked, mortified. The only person who called him that was one of his old girlfriends…

"I walked in on you," Regulus said, looking disgusted, "You were in a broom closet."

"And why were you looking in a broom closet?" Padfoot asked raising an eyebrow (or at least attempting to.)

"None of your business!" Regulus snapped.

"Somebody's got a girlfriend…"

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did...**

"The world will be that much awesome!" Prongs exclaimed.

"And I didn't think the world could get any worse," Regulus said, his lip twitching.

**If it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it. The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...  
**"I doubt that. James and I would visit them all the time if we did!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yep!" Remus said, laughing, "All four Marauders would invite themselves in."

**He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect them... How very wrong he was. **

"I do NOT like the sound of that," Lily muttered. Everyone else agreed.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all. A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cats tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. **

"Dumbledore!" Sirius yelled.

"Yes, Siri, we know!" Regulus said, laughing slightly.

**He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. **

"Told ya!" Sirius said proudly.

"Must I repeat myself?" Regulus said, still smiling.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known. "He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. **

"I want one!" Padfoot and Prongs said at the same time.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. **

**If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. "Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall. "**

"Knew it!" Sirius sang.

"Shut up, Black!" Severus said rolling his eyes.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. **

"What's up with the head of Gryffindor wearing green cloaks?" Regulus asked.

"They bring out her eyes," Sirius said, ignoring everyone's stares.

**Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked. "My dear Professor, I 've never seen a cat sit so stiffly. ""You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day, " said Professor McGonagall. "All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here. "**

"No doubt we're running one, Prongs!" Padfoot exclaimed.

"Yep! Marauder parties are the best!"

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. "Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right, " she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news. " She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... Shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

"But he is fun!" Remus said.

**"You can't blame them, " said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years. "**

"Eleven years…" Remus mused, "That'd make this in 1981. That's not far off."

**"I know that, " said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors. "She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. **

"When does Dumbledore ever tell us anything? He always makes us guess," Severus muttered.

**"A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

**"It certainly seems so, " said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?" **

"A what?" Regulus asked. Sirius started to laugh, inexplicably, but he continued to read before anyone could ask.

**"A what?" **

"You think like Minnie!" Prongs shouted, grinning. Regulus rolled his eyes.

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of "No, thank you, " said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. **

Sirius tutted and said, "It's always the time for a lemon drop."

"It's time for you to shut up."

**"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone - "**

"Yay!" Sirius and James yelled. Moony shook his head,

"Gits!"

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort. " Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was un sticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who. ' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.**

"Of course he hasn't…" Severus muttered.

**"I know you haven 't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know-oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of. "**

"Go Dumbledore!" Sirius yelled.

"Read!"

**"You flatter me, " said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have. "**

"He's too noble to use them," Lily said quietly.

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them. "**

Everyone laughed slightly, but they could tell something was wrong. There was something about how the conversation was moving that didn't seen quite right.

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs. "**

"Yuck. Bad mental image," Prongs said, grinning none-the-less.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

"No I don't," Sirius said with mock politeness.

"Just read, Sirius!" Lily demanded.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. **

"Bet that was comfortable!" James laughed.

**It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. **

"That's smart, just think about all the rumors that would be killed," Lily said.

"But rumors are fun!" Sirius pouted.

"Do you like how most of Hufflepuff thinks you and Potter are together?" Regulus asked in disbelief.

**Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer. "What they're saying, " she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.**

"No!" Everyone said, turning to Luna for confirmation. She nodded.

"Why have you been so quiet?" Regulus asked her.

"I'm here to make sure you get through the books without killing anyone, not to commentate."

"She sounds like Lily," Remus said.

**The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "**

"No!" Sirius said quietly, in shock.

"It – it can't be…" Prongs whispered.

"What about Harry?" Lily asked, but no one answered.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. "Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus... "**

"I don't want to believe it either…" Severus whispered, too quiet for anyone else to hear.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know... " He said heavily. Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. **

"I didn't know she cared about us that much," Lily said, smiling watery.

**"That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone. Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

"Our son defeated Voldemort," Prongs said in a hushed whisper.

"Your son sounds pretty awesome, Prongs," Moony said.

"How couldn't he be? He's related to me!"

"I think it's Lily's genes coming through there," Regulus teased.

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... All the people he's killed... He couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... Of all the things to stop him... But how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?" **

**"We can only guess, " said Dumbledore. "We may never know. "**

"He knows."

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, **

**"Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?" **

**"Yes, " said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?" **

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now. "**

"Merlin, no! Dumbledore that's a bad idea!" Lily shouted.

"you're talking to a book, Lils," Sirius said.

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!" **

"Exactly my point," said Lily vehemently.

**"It's the best place for him, " said Dumbledore firmly. **

**"His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter. "**

"A letter? How in Merlin's name can a letter explain everything?"

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"**

"Ha! My son is famous!" James said.

"Because Voldemort tried to kill our entire family," Lily said, still dazed with shock. Tears began to run down her face at the thought of her son being orphaned.

**"Exactly, " said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. **

"So he looks like me!" Sirius said in a pathetic way to cut the tension.

"Don't, Siri, just… don't," Regulus said.

**"It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?" **

"Merlin knows his father's head is big enough," Severus said.

"I'm still surprised you can play Quidditch with a head that big," Lily said, teasing good-naturedly.

"Maybe that's why Gryffindor lost the Quidditch cup, eh, Potter?" Regulus said, remembering last year when he had caught the snitch.

"We do not speak of that," Sirius snapped. Regulus smirked in response.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it. **

"He better not be!" Lily exclaimed.

**"Hagrid's bringing him. "**

**"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?" **

"Of course," Prongs said.

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life, " said Dumbledore. **

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place, " said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?" **

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"I want one! That sounds awesome!" Sirius said.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets. **

**"Hagrid, " said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?" **

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir, " said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir. "**

"Yes! It's mine!"

**"No problems, were there?" **

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol. "**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning. **

"Is that where-?" Severus whispered.

**"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall. **

Everyone laughed lightly, but the mood did not change.

**"Yes, " said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever. ""Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" "Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.**

"That's strange," Remus said

"And slightly creepy," said Regulus.

**Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with. "**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house. "Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog. **

"I like dogs," Padfoot said, trying to distract the others from their sad moods. It didn't work.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!" **

**"S-s-sorry, " sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles - "**

"I can't believe Dumbledore would do that to him," Severus muttered. While they had been friends, Lily had introduced him to her sister. He hated her, obviously.

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found, " Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out. **

"I didn't realize they'd care so much," Lily said, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks once more.

"Everyone cares about you, love," James said, putting an arm around her. For the first time, she didn't push him away.

**"Well, " said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations. "**

**"Yeah, " said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir. "**

Luna frowned at the mention of taking Sirius his bike back. Unfortunately, Regulus saw it.

"What?" he asked her. Biting her lip, Luna said,

"Sirius doesn't get his bike back."

"What happens to me?" Sirius whispered, but Luna didn't answer.

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. "I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall, " said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. **

**He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. **

"They left my son on the doorstep!" Lily yelled.

"That's not right," James said shaking his head in anger.

**"Good luck, Harry, " he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. **

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived."**

"That sounds like a nightmare," Remus said grimly.

"I can't believe Lils and Prongs are dead!" Sirius exclaimed. "They – you can't be!"

"I wonder where I am?" Remus said.

"Who knows, Lupin. Maybe if you read you'll find out," Regulus said.

"Okay," Remus said, taking the book. Throughout all of this, Luna was silent. She didn't want to make them suspicious of anything in the future. Her father had cleared that much up. If she let them know anything before the time came, then the future might change for the worse rather than for the better. For now, she had to trust her father. After all, he was Harry bloody Potter. He would know how to do this.

Lily Luna Potter sighed, waiting for Remus to begin the next chapter.

_**Hi! Read and Review Please! That'll make me update quicker! I do not own any of this by the way!**_


	3. Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass

**CHAPTER TWO: THE VANISHING GLASS. **

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.**

"I hope that means Harry isn't there," Sirius said.

"Why would it mean that, Black?" Severus asked.

"Because I'd have corrupted him enough to make him wreck havoc there. Duh!" Sirius exclaimed.

Luna frowned slightly. How would they react when they learned of her dad's treatment there?

**The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. **

"I'm not surprised," Lily muttered, "Tuney always did hate changes."

**Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets – **

"Bonnets?" Prongs snickered.

"There's probably pictures of your son in them as well, Potter," Regulus said, smirking. James stared at him, horrified, as Sirius and Remus began to laugh.

**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.**

"No one cares about him! Where's Harry?" Sirius said, praying, 'Please let him be living with me!'

**The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too. Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. **

"I'm confused," Sirius said. "How aren't there any signs that he lives there?"

"Maybe he doesn't destroy everything in his path, unlike you," Regulus suggested.

**His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day. **

"That must be torture," Lily moaned.

**"Up! Get up! Now!" Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched.**

"I'm surprised he isn't deaf if that's what he hears every day," Severus said.

**Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. **

"That's because it actually happened, Harry!" Sirius said.

"You do know you're talking to a book, right, Paddy?" Prongs asked.

"No," Sirius said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I'm talking to Harry."

**His aunt was back outside the door. "Are you up yet?" she demanded. **

"Why no, I'm not!" Remus said sarcastically.

**"Nearly, " said Harry. **

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn; I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." Harry groaned. **

"They're making him cook! He's only ten! "Lily shouted.

"Lils, calm down!" James ordered.

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM ABOUT THIS!" Lily fumed. James chuckled nervously; he hated being in Lily's line of fire.

"I don't like it, but it's the future! We can stop it from happening! Don't you see..." In truth, James was furious, but he was trying to calm Lily down enough so they could continue to read. It worked, though Lily's face was still red.

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door. **

**"Nothing, nothing..."**

"Sounds like me with mother," Sirius stated.

"Oh no," Regulus said, "That sounds like ME when I say something. You just start screaming."

"True, true," Sirius said in a mocking thoughtful voice.

**Dudley's birthday – how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept. **

"WHAT!" Lily screamed, but she could barely be heard over the three Marauders. They were shouting profanities at the book. Everyone, including Luna, were glaring at the book in Remus' hands. Moony fidgeted slightly under so many heavy glares.

"My son sleeps in a cupboard," James snarled.

"I'm going to kill your sister, Lily," not Sirius but surprisingly Severus, growled.

"They have no right…" Remus hissed.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. **

"Spoiled brat," Sirius coughed. Everyone nodded vehemently, still angry.

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise – **

"That sounds like Dursley senior," Prongs said.

"Agreed, Prongs," Sirius said.

**unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,**

"That's despicable," Lily spat, "And Tuney does nothing to stop it?"

Luna wanted to answer the question, in fact, she wanted to tell them the entire story. She knew it was a bad idea, though. Most of the Ministry had been working on how exactly to make this meeting work and the future be changed for the better that she knew she must follow what had to happen.

It was her role to let them read the books and stop any fights. She couldn't reveal extra knowledge. So, in truth, it was much easier to not speak at all.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast. Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

"Now _that's _the Potter genes coming through," Sirius said with a grin. It faded though, "I wonder where I'm at? I should at least be there to threaten the Dursley douches into treating Harry well."

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. **

Lily's face started to grow red, and sensing the bottled up anger, James put an arm around her.

**Harry had a thin face,**

"Prongs," Sirius coughed.

**knobby knees, **

"Prongs," Sirius coughed again.

**black hair,**

"Prongs."

"_Shut up, Sirius!" _Lily reprimanded, still slightly amused.

**and bright green eyes. **

"Lily!" Sirius cheered. Lily rolled her eyes at his antics.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

"Aw, Prongs," Sirius whined, "He doesn't like what you look like."

"Really?" James said, looking mildly annoyed, "Imagine what he would think if he met you."

"He would love me just as much as you do, Prongs," Sirius assured him.

"Sorry, Paddy. I don't roll like that. Evans, here, is the only one for me."

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. "In the car crash when your parents died, "**

"He doesn't know how you died," Moony said softly.

"I doubt he knows about magic, growing up with my sister," Lily said, tearful over the fate of her son. She knew what it was like having to bear her sister.

**she had said. "And don't ask questions. "Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys. **

"That's just wrong. And pathetic. And idiotic," Severus said.

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. "Comb your hair!" **

"The curse of the Potter hair," James said, shaking his head but smirking all the same.

**he barked, by way of a morning greeting. About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place. **

"Just like his old man," Pads said fondly.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig. **

"That sounds like something Lily would say," Severus noted. James glared at Snape, jealous at him ever being close to Lily.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell. "Thirty-six, " he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year. "**

"Tuney! This is too much!" Lily growled. Regulus muttered,

"What do you expect from a filthy muggle?" And for once, Sirius didn't rebuke him.

**"Darling, **

"You're a spoiled brat and shouldn't have any presents!" Sirius declared. Everyone cracked smiles at that but were still angry over Prongs Jr.'s treatment.

**you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy. ""All right, thirty-seven then, " said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry,**

"Who is much more awesome than his cousin," Regulus said, causing everyone to stare at him. "What?" he demanded, "I have a sense of humor, too, you know!" James stared at him in shock,

"Merlin, you sounded like Padfoot." Luna looked at Regulus thoughtfully; maybe he wasn't as different from Sirius as she had believed him to be.

**who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin?**

"Popkin," James snorted. Everyone else began snickering at the ridiculous nickname.

"Tuney comes up with the worst nicknames…" Lily said. Then she turned to Severus with a teasing smile on her face,

"Isn't that right, Sevviekins?" All three Marauders and Regulus busted out laughing at Severus' expression. Severus growled in response,

"That girl is an idiot."

"You've called her things, too, Severus," Lily reminded him.

"Not nice things," he pointed out, "And definitely not things you can repeat in front of children." He eyed Sirius and James as he said that.

"Oi! Are you calling us children!" Sirius asked. Severus glowered at him for a moment before saying,

"Children should be seen not heard."

"So you won't be talking, Severus?" Regulus said, smirking.

"Coming from the youngest in the room," Severus said, his lip twitching as the argument became more friendly, and he took it up with his house-mate.

"Coming from the most mature in the room!" Regulus said pompously, mockingly puffing out his chest. At this point, the Marauders were beginning to chuckle. Even, Lily was holding in a fit of giggles at their clowning around.

**Two more presents. Is that all right'' Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. **

"That does sound like something you'd think, Lily," James said, grinning slightly.

**Finally he said slowly, **

**"So I'll have thirty... Thirty... "**

"Can't even count, the bloody idiot!" Remus exclaimed, getting shocked looks from the others for his swearing.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums, " said Aunt Petunia. **

**"Oh. " Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then. "Uncle Vernon chuckled. **

**"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair. **

"Are they really…" Lily began, her face growing red once more. Remus started reading before she could say anything else.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. **

**"Bad news, Vernon, " she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him. " She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"I can't believe they won't even say his name…" Lily muttered

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. **

**Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. **

Sirius growled as he heard that.

**Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. **

"Merlin's pants! That's really weird!" Regulus said, surprised.

"I hate cats!" Sirius whined.

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. **

"I CAN't BELIEVE MY SISTER HATES ME ENOUGH TO TAKE IT OUT ON MY SON!" Lily screamed. James, who was trying to hold in his own anger, pulled her into a hug. Lily pushed him away, still seething.

"JUST GET OVER IT ALREADY!" Lily yelled frustrated by the book. James, whose ears were beginning to ring; Lily could yell _really _loud, did the only thing he could think of to make her quiet down. He kissed her, full on the lips. Lily made a surprised sound and backed away. Then she yelled,

"JAMES POTTER! DID YOU JUST KISS ME?" Nobody but Regulus noticed how pale Severus had gone.

"First of many, Lily _Potter_," James said with a sly wink. Lily frowned at the reminder that Harry wasn't just _her _son. How in Merlin's name did that happen?

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again. **

**"We could phone Marge, " Uncle Vernon suggested. **

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy. " The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. **

"Or like something with the same IQ as Dudley," Regulus said, grinning slightly.

"Those – those…" Lily said furiously, trying to find an insult worthy of the Dursleys.

"Those repulsive, idiotic, ugly bastards?" Severus suggested. She nodded.

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?" **

**"On vacation in Majorca, " snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here, " Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer). **

All three Marauders growled at Harry's mistreatment.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. **

"Interesting mental picture, there," Sirius said with a grin.

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled. **

**"I won't blow up the house, " said Harry, but they weren't listening. **

"Of course," Severus said, "why would they ever listen to something worthwhile

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo, " said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... And leave him in the car... "**

"My son is not a dog!" James said furiously.

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone... "Dudley began to cry loudly.**

"Brat!" Regulus exclaimed.

"I've never met such a dunderhead," Severus sneered.

"I dunno, Sev. Sirius is a pretty big dunderhead," Regulus said, faking a thoughtful tone.

"Oi!"

**In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had been years since he'd really cried -but he knew that ifhe screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

"I take back my last statement. He is a bigger dunderhead than Sirius-" Regulus began

"Thank you," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Although, it is pretty close," Regulus finished.

**"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. **

"We are pranking your family, Lily!" James exclaimed. Sirius and Remus grinned wickedly. Lily nodded in assent.

**"I... Don't... Want... Him... T-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. **

"Git!" Sirius said.

"We know, we know," Remus said, annoyed with all of the interruptions.

**Just then, the doorbell rang –**

"What's a doorbell?" James asked.

"Unbelievable," Remus said shaking his head.

"What?" James exclaimed, confused.

"You took muggle studies. It's one of the first things we studied!"

**"Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.**

"Don't insult rats like that!" Sirius said furiously.

"What?" Lily asked, confused by Sirius' anger.

"Seriously, Lily, you should know better than to try and decipher anything my brother says by now," Regulus said with a grin. He himself had found out about them being Animagi in his fifth year, due to a late night walk by the lake. It had happened to be a full moon, and he had seen James, Sirius, and Peter transform. James sent him a look that very clearly asked if he knew. Regulus nodded in confirmation, and James looked absolutely shocked. He thought no one other than the Marauders knew about that.

**He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. **

"What's a zoo?" Sirius asked. No one that knew bothered to answer, and Remus continued to read.

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside. "I'm warning you, " he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas. "**

"They better not be serious," Lily said threateningly.

"Of course not, I'm Sirius," Sirius said, faking hurt. Everyone groaned at the pun.

"He'll be at Hogwarts, Lily," Remus said with a calming smile.

**"I'm not going to do anything, " said Harry, "honestly.**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did. The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen. **

"Petunia knows about accidental magic," Lil hissed through clenched teeth.

"But she's scared of it, Lily," Severus said, "Remember all the things I did to her when she insulted me." Lily snorted.

"I'm not saying she didn't deserve it, but the falling branch was slightly harsh."

"I want to hear this story," Regulus said, smirking.

"You aren't going to, so shut up," Severus said. He didn't want to give the MAraudes any idea of how to insult him.

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar. " Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. **

James nervously ran a hand through his hair. Sirius noticed and whispered to Remus,

"Now we know what to threaten him with."

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly. **

"Yes! Go Potter hair," James yelled, grinning.

"Shut up, Potter," Severus said immediately. Remus read before an argument could begin.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) - The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished. On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.**

"What!" Sirius exclaimed, "Harry can fly!" Regulus raised an eyebrow at his brother while Severus said,

"Lily could, too. She used to jump off of swing sets." Lily smiled, slightly embarrassed as everyone tried to imagine the head girl and prefect jumping off of a swing set.

**Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. **

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

"That's a pathetic explanation," Severus said, shaking his head.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. **

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects.**

"Seems like Harry's just as annoying as his father," Sirius said, ruffling James' hair.

"Oi!" James said, trying to rearrange his hair. Needless to say, it didn't work.

**This morning, it was motorcycles. "... Roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums, " he said, as a motorcycle overtook them. I had a dream about a motorcycle, " said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying. "**

"That proves it," Sirius said suddenly, "Harry's got his father's brains."

"Shut up, Padfoot!" James said, smacking Sirius in the shoulder.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache,**

"I love your son's metaphors, Lily," Regulus said, grinning widely. Lily was slightly confused that Regulus, who was both a Slytherin and a firm believer in pureblood supremacy, was talking to her, a muggleborn, but didn't show it.

**"MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!" Dudley and Piers sniggered. **

"**I know they don't, " said Harry. "It was only a dream. "**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas. **

"they're trying to stop him from being a wizard," Regulus said slowly.

"that's not going to work," Sirius said, shaking his head.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. **

**The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.**

"At least he got something," James said weakly, trying to keep Lily's temper in check. She frowned but did calm down slightly.

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

"That's Lily's personality there," Remus said.

"Why?" Sirius asked, "They can both be insulting, Moony."

"Because Prongs wouldn't be able to think of something that smart," Remus said. James faked a stern, McGonagall-like look but couldn't stop the grin from growing on his face.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbockers glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first. Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last. **

"Yep! Potter's mess everything up!" Sirius said with a smirk. James smacked Sirius in the head.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons.**

"Yuck. I hate snakes," Regulus said. Everyone stared at him open-mouthed. "What?" he said defensively.

"That's a bit strange coming from the Slytherin Death Eater," Sirius said. Everyone's eyes widened. Sirius and Severus were the only ones who knew he was a Death Eater.

"Sirius!" Regulus hissed. James was the first to recover.

"You're a Death Eater! Why are you here, then? Why did you bring him?" he directed the last question at Luna. She answered calmly,

"He deserves to be here. Just keep reading." Remus did.

**Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trashcan - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. **

**"Make it move, " he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

"That's just rude," Remus said.

"You're defending a snake," Sirius said slowly. Remus didn't answer.

**"Do it again, " Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. "This is boring, " Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself - no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. **

"That's a good way to put it," Remus said thoughtfully, wondering why Harry understood that so well.

**It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house. **

"Ah," Remus thought as this answered his last question. Everyone else, excluding Severus, looked murderous at the reminder of Harry's home life.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. It winked. **

"What?" Regulus said incredulously. His eyes met Sirius, and he could see the same question reflected in his brother's eyes. He couldn't be a parselmouth.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"That's just weird," Regulus said.

"How'd the snake wink? They don't have eyelids." Remus said slowly.

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "I get that all the time. **

**"I know, " Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying. " **

"Our son is a parselmouth," James said, gaping slightly. Lily was frowning, too. It just didn't make sense.

"Paddy," Prongs whispered, "What if he's in Slytherin?" It was unbelievable, inconceivable, to think that a Potter could be in Slytherin. Then again, Parseltongue was clearly a Slytherin trait. Sirius stared at him in disbelief before declaring,

"No way!"

**The snake nodded vigorously. **

**"Where do you come from anyway?" Harry asked. The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. Boa Constrictor, Brazil. **

**"Was it nice there? "The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. **

**"Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?" **

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. **

**"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!" Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

"Why does Harry compare all of them to animals?" Regulus asked, grinning slightly. Everyone else chuckled.

**"Out of the way, you, " he said, punching Harry in the ribs.**

"Don't punch my son," Lily and James growled before looking at each other in surprise.

**Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

"Accidental magic!" Sirius sang loudly. Remus, whom was sitting next to him, covered his ears and smacked him with the book, saying,

"You prat! That was right in my ear!"

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. **

"Go Harry!" James said.

"We should do something like that one day," Sirius whispered to the other Marauders present.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo. "**

"That's really strange," Remus said, looking slightly disgusted at the thought of a snake talking to his best friends' son.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. **

**"But the glass, " he kept saying, "Where did the glass go?"**

"That's great!" James said, laughing. Everyone else soon joined in.

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. **

"They're such drama queens!" Regulus said, earning himself a laugh from the Marauders.

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"Oh no," Lily groaned, "Tuney's going to hate that!"

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, **

**"Go - cupboard - stay - no meals, " before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

"THEY CANNOT STARVE MY SON!" Lily screamed suddenly, causing everyone to wince slightly.

"Lils, calm down," Remus said. She took a few deep breaths as Remus continued.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food. **

"I wonder where the invisibility cloak is," James muttered, but Lily heard him.

"What?" she demanded sharply. James paled. She was a prefect and head girl and certainly would not hesitate to hand it in.

"Nothing," he declared quickly. She glared at him suspiciously, but she didn't say anything else.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. **

Everyone growled at the reminder of the lies Harry had been told.

**He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. **

"Did he survive the -?" Regulus said. Shocked, everyone glanced around at each other.

"How – how is that possible?" Remus asked. There was no answer.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. **

Lily's eyes once more welled up with tears. James pulled her closer, his face looking around the room, shocked. It was impossible, but no, it would really happen. His son would grow up in a house far worse than he could ever imagine.

**His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

"That disgusting, foul, whale-sized man! How DARE he and Petunia keep these things from our son!" Lily screamed. James, who was still just as angry, grinned foolishly as Lily finally recognized Harry as _their _son.

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away,**

"Like me!" Sirius exclaimed, "Where am I? Prongs _is _my family. Lily noted Regulus' visible wince as Sirius so blatantly stated it.

"Or me," Remus added. "Even though I have some… interesting circumstances… I should still at least visit!"

**but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. **

**A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. **

"That would freak me out, too," Remus said.

**The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. **

"Disapparation," Regulus said, stating the obvious.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang. **

"That's repulsive," Remus said in a shocked voice. He knew how to value friendship, and the fact that it could be controlled so easily was almost horrifying to him.

"We have to change this!" James declared. Sirius turned to Luna and asked,

"That is why we're reading this, right? This is so we can change the future." Luna nodded once and said,

"The time in which I live took a lot of innocent lives to create. I'm here to prevent the deaths."

"Who dies?" Remus asked, pale. Luna only said,

"Read the books to find out."

"Wait!" Severus said, "You're from the future?" Luna nodded in confirmation.

"That's bloody brilliant!" Regulus and Sirius exclaimed at the same time. Then they turned to each other, shocked. They sat like that for a moment, gaping. Then everyone, even Severus, began to laugh.

"Who wants to read now?" Luna asked. Lily answered,

"I will." She grabbed the book from Remus and read,

"The Letters From No One."


	4. Chapter 3: The Letters From No One

**CHAPTER THREE: THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE**

"Yes! That must be the Hogwarts letter!" James crowed. Sirius stood up and began to do a strange happy dance. When he finished, he saw everyone staring at him, openmouthed.

"What?" he asked. Regulus recovered first and cried,

"My eyes! My poor, poor eyes!" Lily shook her head and began to read, before allowing Sirius to retort back.

"Before we start this, I better take everyone's wand before they do something rash," Luna said, almost to herself. She held out her hand and everyone gave her their wand, though reluctantly.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. **

"Again, we HAVE to do something like that," Sirius declared.

**By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

"Of course. Brat," Severus said, rolling his eyes.

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. **

"I love your son's cheek, Prongs," Sirius said with a laugh. James grinned proudly at the reminder that Harry was _his _son.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting. **

Lily huffed loudly, and Sirius growled. Everyone else was glaring at the book in Lily's hands.

"That idiot! He is one messed up kid," Sirius exclaimed.

"Agreed. And I have firsthand experience with living in the same house as a humongous prat," Regulus said, smirking.

"Must you insult me?" Sirius asked in a mock tearful voice.

"Yep," everyone said together.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny. **

"What's wrong with public schools?" Lily said with a glare to the book she was holding.

"I'd rather be there than a git like Dursley's old school," Remus agreed.

"Besides," Lily huffed, "Petunia went to a public school."

"It's not seeming so great now," James said.

"Who cares?" Regulus said casually, "He'll be going to Hogwarts."

"Oh, right," Lily said, blushing.

**"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall, " he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?" **

**"No, thanks, " said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it – it might be sick. " **

"That is so like Lily," Remus said, chuckling. Lily grinned as she found more of herself in her son.

"I hope Dudley won't go after him for it, though," Regulus said.

"He won't," Severus clarified, "He won't be smart enough to realize what Harry said."

**Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said. One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before.**

"Of course," Sirius said, nodding his head, "Cats are evil creatures."

"Just because Aunt Druella always had her cat attack you doesn't mean all cats are like that," Regulus said with a sigh. James and Remus snickered at Sirius' expression.

**She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

"Still, at least it's chocolate," Remus said.

"Oh yeah," Regulus said sarcastically, "Who cares if it's ancient as long as it's chocolate?" Everyone let out small snorts of laughter at Remus' expression.

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobby sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. **

"Isn't that charming!" Severus said.

"I'd rather go to the public school," Remus said.

"Everyone in their right mind would want to go to the public school," Regulus said. "Which means Siri would have a blast at Smeltings."

"Oi!" Sirius cried out, "And don't call me Siri!"

"Oh right," Regulus snickered, "Only your fan girls can call you that."

"You shouldn't be talking, Reggie."

"Shut up!"

Lily halted the argument by reading.

**This was supposed to be good training for later life. As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that**

"He was a complete idiot for putting his son in that school!" James suggested.

**it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,**

"I'll admit it. That nickname's much, much worse than Reggie," Regulus said.

"So we can call you that?" James asked slyly.

"Don't you dare, Potter – or should I say, Antler-boy."

"Shut it!" James said quickly, glancing at Lily. She looked confused, as did Severus, but the other two Marauders looked horrified at the thought of their secret coming out. Luna was shaking her head but stayed quiet. Again, she wasn't here to talk to them. She was here to make things run smoothly, and it was working.

**he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

"It's a miracle!" Sirius yelled loudly.

"What is?" Remus asked slowly, knowing he'd regret it.

"The bloody fact that a Potter had self control!"

"Language, Sirius," Lily reprimanded. Sirius snorted but didn't dare to say anything else. After a minute of glaring at Sirius, Lily continued to read.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. **

**The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water. **

**"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question. **

**"Your new school uniform, " she said. **

"That's disgusting!" Remus said. Even though his clothes were somewhat shabby, he'd never wear something like that.

"I'd rather wear that than a maroon coat and orange knicker bottoms," Severus said. Everyone agreed.

**Harry looked in the bowl again. **

**"Oh, " he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet. "**

"Go sarcasm!" Sirius sang.

"It never works on Petunia," Lily said sadly.

**"Don't be stupid, " snapped Aunt Petunia.**

"See."

**"I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

"You know, maybe the public school isn't the best school around, either," Regulus said.

"Are you calling my sister stupid," Lily said, mock angrily.

"Why yes, yes I am." Regulus said pompously.

"Good, 'cause your right."

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High - like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably. **

"Again with the animal comparisons!" James said.

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. **

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat. **

**"Get the mail, Dudley, " said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. **

**"Make Harry get it. "**

**"Get the mail, Harry. "**

**"Make Dudley get it. "**

"Not going to work, Harry," Remus muttered.

**"Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for Harry. Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. **

"Hogwarts letter! Yay!" Sirius called, jumping out of his chair.

"Sit!" Lily ordered, pulling him down.

"I didn't know you wanted me this close, Evans," Sirius said leaning into her.

"Oi! Get away from my future wife!" James said warningly. Sirius ignored him, waggling his eyebrows at Lily. Surprisingly, Luna spoke up,

"Want your wand back, Lily?" Lily nodded, but Sirius, who believed then to be joking, had closed his eyes and was leaning against Lily's shoulder.

"Silencio!" Lily yelled, "Rictusempra!" Sirius fell off the coach, shaking with silent laughter. He was rolling on the floor, wildly. After a couple minutes, Lily took the charms off of him, and he sat up, glared at Luna, and returned to his seat.

**No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives –**

"Lily and James smiled sadly at each other, reminded off their future. James took Lily's hand in his and, surprisingly, she didn't take it away.

**he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back.**

Regulus shivered, remembering when he had lost one of Madam Pince's library books. It had been terrible.

**Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake: Mr. H. Potter The Cupboard under the Stairs4 Privet Drive Little Whinging Surrey, The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp. **

"What's a stamp?" James asked curiously.

"Nothing," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"And don't ask questions!" Regulus and Sirius cried at the same time. Then they turned, shocked, and stared at each other.

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H. **

"Go Hoggy Warty!" Sirius called in Remus' ear.

"Sirius!" Remus rebuked, "I do know how to do a wandless silencing charm!"

"Really?" Severus asked, impressed in spite of himself. That was really hard magic.

"How'd you think I survived six years in a dorm with these gits and Wormtail?"

**"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"That arrogant idiot!" Lily said.

"I don't get the joke," James said quietly to Sirius.

"Neither do I," Sirius admitted.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope. Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard. "Marge's ill, " he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk. -. " **

**"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!" **

"Mind your own business!" Lily yelled at the book.

"Uh, Lils," James said, "No matter how loud you yell, he won't be able to hear you." Lily glared at him before reading again.

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon. **

"Git!"

**"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back. **

**"Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. **

**His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge. **

"I'd love to see that!" Sirius said, bursting into laughter.

**"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped. Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise. **

"Then she choked to death, fell on Dursley senior, making him fall out of a window. Dudley imploded from all the food he eats, and Harry moves in with Uncle Sirius. The End," Sirius said, looking proud of himself. Everyone stared at him for a second, utterly shocked. Then the Marauders started to laugh and everyone else joined in.

**"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!" **

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick. **

"I wish I could do that to my mother," Sirius said thoughtfully. Surprisingly, Regulus snickered along with everyone else. The others stared at him when he didn't take offense to that.

"What?" he said, "Just because I side with my family doesn't mean that her reaction wouldn't be hilarious."

**"I want to read that letter, " he said loudly. **

" **I want to read it, " said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."**

**"Get out, both of you, " croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope. Harry didn't move. **

"GIVE HIM HIS LETTER!" Lily shouted suddenly. Then she glanced at the next line and laughed.

"What?" James asked. In response, she read.

"**I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted. **

"Lily's temper!" Sirius sang.

**"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley. **

"Why should he see it?" Severus asked, "It's not like it concerns that ugly git."

**"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; **

"Of course," Regulus said, amused despite the tense anger over the Dursleys keeping Harry's letter from him.

**Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor. **

"That's probably better anyway," James pointed out.

"True, true," Sirius said, mocking a thoughtful tone.

"Hmm, Siri, have you ever realis

**"Vernon, " Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address - how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?" **

"Like your worth spying on!" Regulus spat out.

"Stupid muggles," Severus grumbled.

**"Watching - spying - might be following us, " muttered Uncle Vernon wildly. **

"He's finally gone off the deep end," Sirius said mocking disbelief. Regulus snorted.

"That's what I thought the night you ran away."

"Oi! Reggiekins, don't be mean!"

**"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want - "**

"Not going to work!" James said fiercely.

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

**"No, " he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer... Yes, that's best... We won't do anything... "But - - ""I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?" **

"How dare he!" James growled looking murderous. Lily felt tears begin to run down her cheeks. Did her sister truly hate her that much? She had known it was bad, but this was completely horrible.

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard. **

**"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?" **

**"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake, " said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it. " **

**"It was not a mistake, " said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it." **

"Duh," Severus said, rolling his eyes. "How could that have been wrong?"

**"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling.**

"Poor spiders," Regulus said. Everyone stared at him incredulously. "What? Nothing should have to hear that."

"So, you pity the spiders more than my son," Lily growled threateningly.

"Merlin no, Lily," Regulus assured her, even if he hadn't known her long, he did not want to get on the wrong side of that temper.

**He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful. "Er - yes, Harry - about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking... You're really getting a bit big for it... We think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom. **

"Second bedroom," repeated Sirius faintly. "Even my parents don't spoil Reggie enough to give him two rooms."

"Oi! I am not spoiled!" Regulus exclaimed.

**"Why?" said Harry. **

"Don't question it, Harry! Just go with it!" James cried out.

**"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. **

"I can't believe anyone would mess up their son that bad," Severus said.

"Yeah!" James agreed, "He's more wacked than Sirius!"

"Oi!"

"Did you just agree with me, Potter?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow. James adopted a shocked look as he too realized what Severus was saying.

"Er…"

"And that's why James isn't known for his comebacks," Sirius announced, clearly still annoyed by James' earlier statement.

**It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog;**

"Poor dog," Sirius said somberly. Everyone stared at him for a second before beginning to laugh like crazy.

**in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched. From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, **

"**I don't want him in there... I need that room... Make him get out... "**

"That little monster!" Regulus exclaimed loudly.

"Or not so little," Sirius pointed out.

"I was referring to his maturity level," Regulus countered.

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it. **

"That's really sad," Remus said shaking his head. How dare someone treat his friend's son like that!

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back.**

"Finally! Someone knock some sense into the devil!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Weird," Lily said with a grimace, "For once I agree with both Black and Dursley."

**Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly. When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. **

**Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive –" **

"Idiot! If he wanted to read it, then why scream about it!" Remus said vehemently.

"Lupin, we've already came to the conclusion that Dursley has less sense than Black. Why question his stupidity?" Severus said.

"Why does everyone pick on me?" Sirius fake-sobbed.

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. **

"Go Harry!" James yelled.

"Hit him where it hurts!" Sirius yelled.

"They really are idiots," Regulus whispered, shaking his head.

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand. **

"-"

"Padfoot, shut up!" Remus ordered.

**"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom, " he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley - go - just go. "Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

"Oh no. This will not end well," Remus stated.

"Why, Moony?" James asked, puzzled.

"He's too much like you, and you're plans are worth crap," Remus said.

"Ouch! I make good plans, Remus!" James defended.

"Like the time you wanted to tie Severus to a broom and shoot him off towards the Whomping Willow?"

"What!" Severus shouted. Lily frowned at the Marauders but was grateful that at least one of them had common sense.

"That was Sirius' idea!"

"Oi!"

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights. He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.**

"That's not a terrible idea," Regulus admitted.

"But knowing Prongs, it will go wrong," Sirius said, shaking his head in mock shame.

**His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door -Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something alive!**

"And that proves our point," Sirius and Remus said together.

"Shut up," James muttered, grinning.

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face.**

"At least he got to step on him," Regulus pointed out.

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea.**

"Ouch," Regulus said, wincing. He knew what Sirius and his mother's screaming matches had been like when they lasted that long, and he hadn't even been on the same floor as them.

**Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink. **

"They're starting to send more," Remus said, chuckling.

"You sound like you have personal experience, Lupin," Severus said.

"Er – yeah. I got about twelve letters 'cause I ripped the first few up, thinking they wouldn't let me in."

"Why wouldn't they?" Lily asked.

"Because he's a prat," James replied immediately. It helped the tension and took Moony out of the spotlight, but Lily still looked slightly suspicious.

**I want - - " he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes. Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot. **

**"See, " he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up. "**

"Not going to work!" Sirius sang in Remus' ear.

"Silencio!" Remus cried, effectively silencing Sirius without a wand.

**"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon. "**

"Petunia understands it from when I got my letter," Lily said angrily. "She should know better than this!"

**"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," **

"Thank Merlin for that," Regulus said, disgusted by that vile man.

**said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.**

Everyone snickered slightly, and Lily grinned, remembering how terrible Tuney had been at cooking.

**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. **

**As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom. **

"Go magic!" Sirius yelled, breaking the charm on him. Everyone but Remus and James stared at him in shock.

"How'd he do that?" Lily wondered aloud.

"Lots of practice," Remus said, smirking as he shook his head.

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tip toe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

"He's gone utterly mad," Severus stated flatly.

"Thank you! I didn't notice!" Regulus called out sarcastically.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. **

"Yes! Go Hogwarts!" James yelled.

"Don't make me silence y-" Remus managed to say before starting to laugh. Everyone else joined in.

**While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor. **

**"Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

"Everyone! 'Cause my son's awesome!" James yelled.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy. **

**"No post on Sundays, " he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today - - "**

"Murphey's law," Lily said with a chuckle.

"What's Murphey's law?" James and Sirius asked.

"Muggle saying," Severus said, waving aside their confusion.

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head.**

"Told ya!" Lily said. Severus smiled at her while James and Sirius were still puzzled. A

'Ah,' Severus thought, 'Making them seem like fools in front of Lily never gets old.'

**Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one. **

"seeker in the making!" James crowed happily.

"Hate to burst your bubble, Prongs," Remus said, "But it's taking him pretty long to catch one."

"Noooo!"

**"Out! OUT!" Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor. **

"Hogwarts is great," Regulus said chuckling.

"No shit!" Sirius said. Lily glared at him and smacked him rather hard.

"Sirius! Language," she reprimanded. Sirius cowered under the Evans Death Glare and said,

"Sorry, Evans! Don't hurt me!"

"Gryffindor my arse!" Regulus exclaimed, laughing.

"Regulus!" And suddenly Regulus, too, was shrinking away from Lily.

**"That does it, " said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. **

"The poor mustache," Sirius said, wiping away a fake tear.

"Hope it hurt," Lily muttered, but Severus heard her.

"But Lils!" he said, uncharacteristically in mock surprise, "Violence is never the answer. Unless you're dealing with Black and Potter, of course."

"Shut it, Snivellous!" Sirius said. Remus, who was trying to keep the peace shouted,

"Sirius! Silencio!" Suddenly, Siirus was silenced once more. "Sorry 'bout that, Severus." He didn't answer, so Lily, after a moment, cleared her throat awkwardly and began reading again.

"**I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!" He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue.**

"Dangerous!" James said in shock, "I'd be laughing my head off!"

"That's because you're insane, Potter," Regulus pointed out.

**Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag. **

"Serves the git right!" Sirius said, once more breaking the charm.

"Can't deny that," Regulus and Lily said at the same time. For a second, everyone was silent. Then they broke out into laughter, while Lily and Regulus looked shocked.

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. **

**"Shake 'em off... Shake 'em off, " he would mutter whenever he did this. **

"Like we couldn't find them wherever they went," Remus said, snorting.

"That sounded creepy, Moony!" Sirius exclaimed.

"He's a creepy bloke," James said smirking. Remus hit him upside the head lightly.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

"Welcome to the real world, bud," Lily said grimly.

"Bud? Seriously?" Severus said, raising an eyebrow. Lily ignored him and began to read.

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering... **

"Why his uncle went completely insane!" Sirius finished.

"Or why he was receiving so many letters," Remus pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you want to think, Moony," Sirius said, waving an impatient hand.

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table. **

**"'Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk. "**

"A hundred!" Regulus said with a laugh, "That's great!"

"Dursley will pop a vein!" Sirius agreed.

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address: Mr. H. Potter Room 17 Railview Hotel Cokeworth Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared. **

"She must not be used to bloody evil uncles," James said, shaking his head in horror.

**"I'll take them, " said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room. **

"**Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?"**

"Finally, someone that isn't bloody insane!" Regulus said.

**Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. **

"'Course not. Git!" Remus said.

**Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage. **

"Roadtrip!" James and Sirius yelled.

"Shut it before I silence you," Remus threatened.

**"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. **

"It must be bad if that dunderhead noticed," Severus said.

"Wow," Sirius said. "For once in my life I actually agree with you, Snape."

**Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared. It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled. **

**"It's Monday, " he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television. "**

"Brat!"

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday - and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television - then tomorrow, Tuesday was Harry's eleventh birthday.**

"Happy birthday, Harrry!" Sirius shouted.

"Pads," Remus rebuked him, "He can't hear you!"

"How do you know?" Sirius said in a very mysteroious tone.

"Because I'm not a blithering idiot!" Remus cried out.

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun - last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

"Despicable," Lily growled.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day. **

"Damn straight!" Sirius exclaimed, causing the other Marauders present to grin.

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought. **

**"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!" It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could thing was certain, there was no television in there. **

"If Harry wasn't there, too, I'd say they deserve it," Sirius said thoughtfully. Lily stared at him in shock. "What?" he asked defensively.

"You just said something that actually made sense!"

"It's a bloody mracle!" Regulus cried, causing Sirius to glare at him.

**"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!" A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them. **

"'Course," James grumbled, "He knows Dursley's batty."

**"I've already got us some rations, " said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!" It was freezing in the boat. **

"My son better not get sick," Lily snarled.

**Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house. The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms. Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas.**

"He. Is. An. Idiot," Remus said slowly.

"Thank you for that wonderful observation, Remus!" Regulus said sarcastically.

**He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up. **

**"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully. He was in a very good mood. **

"The mentally ill usually are. Just look at Siri," Regulus said with a wicked grin at Sirius.

"Shut up, Reggie," Sirius grumbled.

**Obviously, he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail.**

"Wizards can!" James called out loudly.

"We know, you arrogant git," Severus said.

"Oi!" Sirius exclaimed, "No one can insult Prongs like that-"

"Yeah!" James cut in.

"'Cept me and Rem!" Siirus finished.

"Hey!"

**Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all. As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. **

**She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket. **

"I CAN'T BLEIEVE MY SISTER WOULD MAKE MY SON SLEEP ON THE GROUND!" Lily raged suddenly, causing everyone, even Luna, to wince slightly.

"It's just as good as a cupboard," Sirius pointed out, earning him a smack from Remus and James, who were both trying to calm Lily down. It took a minute for Lily to be able to read again.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. **

"I'm going to kill Dursley!" James muttered.

"We should introduce Dudley to Filch," Sirius muttered back, causing James to smirk.

**The low rolls of thunder that started near midnight drowned Dudley's snores. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

"I CAN'T BELIEVE -," Lily began.

"We get it!" Severus yelled back, putting himself in Lily's scorching gaze.

"Do you have a death wish?" Sirius cried, horrified, but Lily didn't kill Severus. Instead, his words seemed to help her calm down.

"How'd you do that?" James asked, staring at Severus in wonder.

"Lot's of practice," Severus said with a grin at Lily, who rolled her eyes.

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. **

**He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

"He got your brains, Potter," Regulus said cheekily. "Lily's smarter than that."

"Definitely," Severus agreed. James opened his mouth to retort, but Lily continued to read before he could.

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

Everyone snickered at the image of the house so covered by letters that it looked like it had snowed.

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea? One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds... Twenty... Ten... Nine - maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him**

"Marauder in the making," Remus said in mock horror.

"Severus frowned at the statement, not finding it amusing.

**- three... Two... One... BOOM. The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"What!" Lily yelled. "It's probably a bloody murderer!"

"I doubt it, Lils," Remus said, amused.

"How do you know?" Lily demanded.

"There's a lot more left of this series," Remus reminded her.

"Right," she said sheepishly. "So that was the end of the chapter."

"I'm hungry!" Sirius whined.

"Same," James agreed. Remus rolled his eyes before turning to Luna. She smiled and said,

"I've got it covered." Immediately, there was a click, and the door they had been unable to open swung forward to reveal…

Hogwarts.

"I thought you said you took us out of the castle," Sirius accused.

"I did say that," Luna said with a chuckle.

"Why!" Regulus asked the redhead.

"So you wouldn't try to leave," Luna said, shrugging. "Just bring back a plate, and we'll eat here."

"Kay," everyone chorused.

"Lily!" Luna yelled as they left.

"What?" Lily said, turning.

"Grab something for me," Luna said sheepishly. Grinning, Lily nodded and left the room.

**DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT J.K. ROWLING! I DON NOT OWN HARRY POTTER AS M"UCH AS I WANT TO!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED THE FEEDBACK! TELL ME IF THIS SHOULD BE CONTINUED!**


	5. Chapter 4:The Keeper of the Keys

**CHAPTER FOUR: THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS **

"Now that Sirius and James have eaten the entire Great Hall, why don't we read again?" Regulus said with a smirk. Sirius and James huffed but didn't answer; their mouths were too full of the last of their lunch.

Who wants to read?" Luna asked.

"I will," Severus said and took the book from where Lily had placed it. He began reading.

**BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. **

**"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly. **

"He says everything stupidly," Sirius said. "I would know: I'm always with James.

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands –**

"He had a rifle in the same place as two eleven-year-old children," Lily said slowly, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What's a rifle?" Sirius asked curiously. Surprisingly, Regulus answered,

"It's a muggle weapon. It shoots a little ball that can literally rip a hole through you." Everyone shivered at the description.

**now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them. **

**"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"**

"Because that's going to stop a wizard," Severus scoffed.

**There was a pause. Then -SMASH! The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

"D'you think it's someone from Hogwarts?" Remus asked thoughtfully.

"Probably, Remus," Regulus said in the same tone.

"Why don't you shut it and let me read so we can find out," Severus said.

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. **

**His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggymane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair. **

"HAGRID!" Sirius yelled. Remus turned to him and smacked him on the head.

"Padfoot! That was right in my ear!"

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling.**

"It's definitely Hagrid," James said.

"We know, Potter!" Severus said.

**He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

Suddenly, Lily burst into giggles. When everyone stared at her, she choked out,

"Imagine… Dursley's… face." They all joined her laughter.

**"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey... "He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear. **

"Coward," James muttered.

"Agree with you there, Prongs," Sirius said loudly. Remus sent him his infamous shut-up-or-I-swear-to-Merlin-you-will-be-silenced look.

"I'll be quiet, Moony! Don't hex me!"

Severus continued to read, smirking at the mock fearful glances Sirius was sending Remus.

**"Budge up, yeh**

"Terrible, whale-sized monster with the strength and bravery of a three toed sloth!" Sirius said. Everyone stared at him a moment before bursting out laughing.

**great lump, "**

"Ah, Haaaaagrid!" Sirius whined, "You ruined my fun."

**said the stranger. Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon. **

"Coward," James repeated, rolling his eyes.

**"An' here's Harry!" said the giant. Harry looked up into the fierce,**

Severus snorted at the implication that Hagrid was fierce.

**wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby, " said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got ye mom's eyes. "**

James smiled as Lily said,

"Awwww! That's so cute!"

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise. I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!" **

"Like he could actually _do _something to Hagrid," Severus said with a snort. Truthfully, he was surprised that Dursley was brave enough to do anything but cower in the corner.

**"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune, " said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

"Good. The last thing Dursley needed was to injure someone," Regulus said.

"Especially when he probably wouldn't care if it was Harry," Sirius said, tactlessly. Lily frowned and glared at the book, her temper returning.

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on. **

"Coward…" Remus muttered again.

"Yeah!" Sirius agreed loudly, "Even Reggie's braver than that!"

"Shut up, Sirius!"

**"Anyway - Harry, " said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right." **

"That's so sweet!" Lily exclaimed.

"Harry deserves something nice," Regulus agreed.

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing. **

"Thanks, Hagrid!" Lily said happily.

"You should go thank him," Regulus said with a snicker. Severus agreed, saying,

"Imagine his face if you told him 'thanks for getting my orphaned son his first present when he was eleven!'"

"We still don't know where Rem or I am, though. I can't see us being alive and not there for Harry," Sirius said softly.

"You don't think…" James said slowly. Sirius swallowed and nodded,

"I do."

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?" **

"Harry! Manners!" Lily scolded, but she was still somewhat subdued over what Sirius had said.

**The giant chuckled. "True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. "He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm. **

"I remember when he did that to me," James said, smiling over the memory of when he had been in first year.

**"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind. "**

James and Sirius exchanged a grin, both trying to forget how most of the people in this room were probably dead.

"That was terrible," Remus moaned.

"What?" Lily asked curiously.

"Once we bought Hagrid some brandy. He was utterly drunk."

"Oh…"

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. **

"Isn't he not supposed to use magic?" Regulus said. Sirius shrugged and answered,

"What they don't know doesn't hurt them." James agreed,

"It's not like Hagrid's dangerous or anything." Luna smiled at that, remembering the baby dragon, and the time her dad rode in the motorcycle to leave the Dursleys'.

**It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath. The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.**

"I wonder what that is," Regulus drawled. Sirius grinned back and said,

"You don't know? I used to think you were smart, Reggie!"

"Don't call me that, Siri! At least I can recognize sarcasm."

"Don't call me Siri! Do you know how many compliments you get when you don't recognize sarcasm? It's great!" James broke in,

"Only you, Paddy…"

"Thanks, Prongs!"

**Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. **

"Yum!"

**Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little.**

"That fat pig doesn't need any food!" Severus said.

**Uncle Vernon said sharply, **

**"Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley. "The giant chuckled darkly. **

"I can't believe he distrusts Hagrid!" James said, as if it was the craziest thing in the world.

**"Yet great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry. "**

"Yes! Finally the truth," Sirius said.

"You didn't know that, Paddy? Do you need a healer?" James asked innocently.

"Definitely," Regulus said seriously, before Sirius could retort.

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful,**

"And that's saying something! Remember when Sirius tried one of Hagrid's rock cakes!" Remus said.

"He had to have three teeth fixed by Madam Pomphrey. She ended up threatening Hagrid to never make them again." James said, chuckling. Sirius glared at them but was grinning.

"I did get three galleons for it, though. James dared me to."

**but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, **

**"I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are. "**

"He's really polite," Remus said, sounding slightly surprised. Of course, the only eleven year olds he had known very well when he was that age had been Peter, James, and Sirius.

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. **

**"Call me Hagrid, " he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o'course. **

Lily scowled at the reminder of how the Dursleys had kept that information away from him.

"I can't believe _my _son grew up as a muggle," James whispered, uncharacteristically serious.

**"Er - no, " said Harry. Hagrid looked shocked. **

**"Sorry, " Harry said quickly. **

"Why is he apologizing?" Regulus asked, "It's Dursley's fault!" Suddenly, Lily's eyes widened, and she looked over at James.

"He better not have your annoying noble thing!" she yelled. James immediately held his hands up in surrender. Luna couldn't help it there. According to Uncle Ron, her dad had always been a noble git. So, she snickered. Loudly. Remus turned to her and asked,

"Did he get the noble thing from James?" Remembering her mission, Luna said,

"Keep reading and find out."

**"Sorry?" barked Hagrid,**

"See? Hagrid doesn't think he should be apologizing either!" Regulus said. Severus looked at his housemate with a raised eyebrow and said,

"Who disagreed with you?"

**turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?" **

"That's just going to confuse him," Sirius said.

**"All what?" asked Harry. **

"Hagrid's not going to like thaaaaaaaat," Sirius sang loudly.

"We know," Severus snapped, annoyed. "Lupin, how do you do a wandless silencing charm?"

"Let me demonstate. Silencio!"

"Thanks."

**"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!" He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. "Do you mean ter tell me, " he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy - this boy! - knows nothin' abou'- about ANYTHING?" **

"Harry's not going to like that at all," Remus said. Severus snickered,

"Especially if he's anything like Lily. I got angry at her and told her that she didn't know anything about the Wizarding World –"

"And I yelled at you for the best part of fifteen minutes for saying that," Lily said, eyes shining.

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad. **

**"I know some things, " he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff. " **

"Yep. There it is."

"Looks like his temper isn't as bad as Lily's."

"Oi! My temper's not bad!" Lily exclaimed.

"Are you deluding yourself?" Regulus cried before he could stop himself. When Lily turned to glare at him, he did the brave thing and ducked behind one of the sofas. Sirius and Remus laughed, but James, whom had been on the other side of that glare too many times, winced in sympathy.

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world. " **

**"What world?" Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode. **

**"DURSLEY!" he boomed. **

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble. " **

"How articulate," Severus drawled.

"I know; I'm absolutely stunned by Dursley's vocabulary," Regulus agreed.

"I've never even heard the word mimblewimble before!" Remus added, in mock-awe.

**Hagrid stared wildly at Harry. **

**"But yeh must know about yet mom and dad, " he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous. "**

"Yeah! You're famous, Prongsie!" Sirius said, finally breaking Remus' strongest silencing spell yet. No one was even surprised anymore.

"For _dying_, Padfoot!"

**"What? My - my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?" **

"I am! I believe that I am tied for most detentions ever!" James said proudly.

"Only you and Sirius would believe that's an accomplishment," Remus said, shaking his head.

"Of course it is! It was my goal since first year!" Sirius said, faking a hurt tone.

**"Yeh don' know... Yeh don' know... " Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally. **

"He's a human!" Regulus answered.

"Of course not! He's a flobberworm!" Sirius disagreed. Lily glared at him and demanded,

"Sirius Black! Did you just call my son a flobberworm!" Severus rolled his eyes and said,

"Of course he's not a flobberworm! D –"

"Aw, Snape! You have no sense of humour!" James cut in. Severus finished what he had been planning to say, ignoring James' comment,

"Dursley doesn't take good enough care of him! Flobberworms are insanely easy to care for!"

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice. "Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!" **

"Like a muggle could stop Hagrid," Regulus sneered. Sirius glanced at him in surprise. Even though his brother had never turned his back on their parents, he had always been pretty tolerant of muggles and muggleborns.

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage. **

"I've never seen Hagrid that angry," Lily said in surprise.

"Neither have I," Regulus agreed.

"The only thing I can think of for him to lose control that badly was if he was drunk –" Remus said.

"But he's not," Regulus cut in. "I would know. I've seen some pretty… surprising people hopelessly drunk before. Right, Severus?"

"Sev?" Lily asked shocked, "How in Merlin's name did you manage to get him drunk!" Regulus turned to stare at Sirius and James. They fidgeted slightly before saying,

"That may be our fault…" Remus snorted and said,

"They charmed all of Slytherin's glasses to fill with firewhiskey for a prank once. Then they placed concealment charms over it so it wouldn't be noticeable."

"Thanks for that, Potter, Sirius. I had been in the Hospital Wing during dinner that day because of Quidditch. I came back to see the whole Slytherin house completely drunk."

"I wish I could see your reaction," Sirius said, snickering wildly.

"At first I was completely shocked," Regulus said, "Then I saw Bella and Lucius dancing together rather… suggestively… in the middle of the Common Room. It scarred me for life."

**"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?" **

"I never realized Hagrid cared so much about us," Lily said with a sad smile.

"He's a loyal friend," James said seriously.

**"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly. **

"I can't believe he doesn't know…" Remus muttered. Magic had always played a huge role in his life.

**"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror. **

"She is so overdramatic," Lily said shaking her head.

"Yeah!" James agreed, "It's just like Paddy when he's drunk!"

"Oi! I'm not that terrible!"

"I wish," Remus muttered.

**"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh, " **

"That's a good one," James said, chuckling.

**said Hagrid. "Harry - yer a wizard."**

"Harry's not going to react well to that," Sirius said slowly.

"Who would?" Lily asked.

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard. **

**"- a what?" gasped Harry. **

"See?"

**"A wizard, o' course, " said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. **

"Of course!" James cried, "My son's awesome!"

"Yeah, he's already smarter than you!" Sirius agreed.

"Exact – hey!"

**With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter. "**

"Finally," James moaned.

"I don't think anyone has ever needed that many letters," Remus said, remembering Hogwarts: A History.

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. **

"I love how the letters are so literal," James said, shaking his head.

"Why do you sound as if you have experience with that?" Lily asked.

"Because I tried to fool the letters once by sleeping outside. It didn't work. I got Mr. J. Potter, the grass, behind-your-house, Potter Manor."

**He pulled out the letter and read: HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. , Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards) Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. **

"Those don't change much," Regulus said with a snort.

"Of course not. When is anything Minnie does exciting or new?" Sirius said.

"Sirius! You shouldn't insult your lifelong crush!" Remus said with a snicker.

"THAT WAS A DARE, MOONY! AND I GOT DETENTION FOR IT!"

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first.**

"Now who does that remind me of?" Severus asked.

"Shut it, Sev."

**After a few minutes he stammered, **

**"What does it mean, they await my owl?" **

"Really? Of all the things to ask…" Sirius said.

"Most muggles aren't really accustomed to owl post, Sirius. Of course it sounded strange," Regulus said.

**"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me, " said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl – a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down: **

"How!" James demanded, "I can't read his writing upside-up! Is upside-up a word, Moony?"

"Oh, Prongs…"

**Dear Professor Dumbledore, Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope you're Well. Hagrid, Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. **

"Poor owl," Lily said, thinking of the storm.

"Lily, the owls do it all the time," Severus pointed out, rolling his eyes.

**Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone. Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly. **

"Why does that sound like Prongs?" Remus stage-whispered to Sirius. Sirius grinned back and said innocently,

"I have no idea, Moony."

**"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

**"He's not going, " he said. Hagrid grunted. **

"I'd like to see a muggle like him stop Harry," Regulus muttered.

**"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him, " he said. **

"That was strange," Sirius said, glancing from the book to his brother.

"See, Sirius," James said with a grin, "We always knew Regulus was as soft as Hagrid on the inside!"

"Shut up, Potter," Regulus said, his voice losing the teasing tone it had taken on as he became more comfortable with the Gryffindors. He knew that if he was soft, he wouldn't have been able to survive this long with the Death Eaters.

**"A what?" said Harry, interested. **

**"A Muggle, " said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on. "**

"Bad luck!" Lily shouted. "It's all Dumbledore's fault!"

"Lily, there's probably something we don't know yet," Remus suggested.

**"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish, " said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

"It's better than being a muggle like Dursley!" James declared. Severus rolled his eyes,

"Of course it is, Potter. Being a wizard is _always_ better than being a muggle." Regulus closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and saying,

"I disagree, Severus. I'd rather have Voldemort as a muggle than a wizard."

"I'd rather not have Voldemort at all," James interjected.

**"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a - a wizard?" **

"Knew!" Lily shrieked, "Knew! Of course they knew!"

**"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew!**

"Whoa," Lily said.

"I have no comment," Sirius said slowly.

"For once," Regulus added cheekily.

"It's an improvement," James added.

**How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

"She's jealous," Remus stated. Lily nodded once, slowly. Was there any way for her sister to get over it?"

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years. "Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal – **

"Thank Merlin for that!" James said.

"Are you calling me strange, James Potter?" Lily asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well…"

**and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!" **

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!" **

"Hagrid's sooooooo not going to like that," Sirius said dramatically.

**"CAR CRASH!"**

"See?"

"No one disagreed, Paddy," Remus said.

**roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!" **

"That is ironic," Severus said.

"Duh, Snape," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

**"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently. **

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious. "I never expected this, " he said, in a low, worried voice. **

**"I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but some ones gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'. "**

"That would be a nightmare," Lily moaned.

"I don't know. It would be pretty funny," Sirius said.

"Sirius! Don't make me come over there!" Lily threatened.

"Walk right over," Sirius said with a wink.

"Oi! No hitting on my future wife!"

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys. "Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it... "**

"When isn't something a mystery?" Lily sighed.

"When you don't really want to know it," Remus answered logically.

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows - - "**

"Voldemort," Regulus finished. No one in the room flinched.

**"Who? " **

"Hagrid's going to have to say Voldemort," Remus said with a chuckle.

"He's terrified of saying it. Freaked out when James did once!" Sirius added.

"So did Wormtail," James said with a grin.

**"Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does. "**

"I don't know. I can think of some people crazy enough to do it," Remus said, with a mock glare at the other two Marauders present.

**"Why not?" **

"He's soo not making this easy," Regulus said with a chuckle.

**"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... Bad.**

"Understatement," Regulus muttered.

**As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. **

"Still an understatement," Regulus said quietly once more.

**His name was... "Hagrid gulped, but no words came out. **

"Go, Hagrid!"

"You can do it!"

**"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

"No, it's pretty hard to spell," Sirius said.

"Padfoot," Remus said patronizingly, "You just have to sound it out."

"Nah. The less I think about him the better."

**"Nah -can't spell it. All right - Voldemort."**

"Woohoo! Hagrid said it!"

**Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this- **

"Monster."

"Fiend,"

"Devil."

"_Flobberworm!_"

**this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too - some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches...**

"Now we know why he doesn't like you as much, Padfoot. You're too strange," James said.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

**Terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horribly.**

"Lovely. The future sucks."

"He's gone in Harry's time," James said weakly.

"Don't count on it," Regulus said.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked him, confused.

"There are ways for dark wizards to make themselves immortal. It's likely Voldemort would have done just that." Regulus wasn't willing to mention all of the hints Voldemort had been dropping about splitting his soul, immortality, and seven pieces.

**One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. **

"Damn straight!" Sirius said.

"Language, Sirius," Lily scolded.

**Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.**

"Death Eaters will never get into Hogwarts!" Luna shook her head at that. Even in her dad's first year, Voldemort, or what was left of him at that point, had been in Hogwarts.

**Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! **

"We still can't believe that," Remus muttered, glancing at James.

"Oi! I am soooooooo responsible!"

"I believe you played an irresponsible prank at the beginning of this year again," Regulus said.

"Of course!" James said, sounding aggrieved, "It's tradition!"

**Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... Probably knew they were too close to Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side. **

"Of course!" James shouted. Lily snorted,

"Like they'd want a _muggleborn_ on their side."

"But they could have used you to make your friends join," Severus said gravely.

**Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em...**

"Not a chance," James said.

**Maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. **

"That's more likely," James admitted. Surely, even an idiot like Voldemort would know that he wouldn't have switched sides.

**All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' - an' - - " **

"And completely ripped our family apart," James said sadly, drawing Lily towards him.

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn. **

"What's a foghorn?" James and Sirius asked together. No one answered.

**"Sorry, " he said. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -anyway... "**

"Thanks, Hagrid," Lily said with a slightly watery smile."

**"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then - an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing - he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then.**

"Well, that makes our deaths sound so important," Lily said sarcastically. Regulus looked up at her with haunted eyes and said,

"There is no reason important enough for killing." Suddenly, Lily was reminded of what Sirius had called Regulus a couple chapters ago. He was a Death Eater. Yet, he didn't seem as if he was loyal to them. What had caused the younger Black to join?

**But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a Powerful, evil curse touches yeh - took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even –**

"That's not the best way to say it," Regulus said.

**but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry.**

"I never thought I'd rather my son not be famous," James said sadly.

**No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts –**

Everyone but Regulus and Severus paled drastically.

"Oh Merlin… I-I can't believe so many people die…" Sirius said.

**an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light,**

"I can't believe this happens in less than five years…" Severus said.

"It won't happen!" James said decisively, "We'll change it! That's why we're here, right?" He directed the last question to Luna, who nodded.

**more clearly than he had ever remembered it before - and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh. **

**Hagrid was watching him sadly. "Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot... "**

"Which was a grave mistake?" Sirius suggested.

"Hagrid wouldn't insult Dumbledore like that," Lily said.

**"Load of old tosh, "**

"Yes, you are," James said, sounding rather polite.

**said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched. **

**"Now, you listen here, boy, "**

"Harry has a name you know. I know you have a one track mind, and that the traffic is pretty light on it, but even you should know that!" Remus said. James leaned over to Sirius and whispered,

"I don't get it."

**he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured –**

"That – that moronic bastard!" Sirius cried.

"That idiot better not have beat my son!" Lily said.

**and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos,**

"Can't deny that, Prongs," Remus said with a grin.

"Same for you, Lily," Severus said. Lily glared at him, while James laughed.

**no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion –**

"Oi!"

**asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end - - "**

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT JAMES AND LILY LIKE THAT!" Sirius shouted. James wiped a fake tear and said,

"I didn't know you cared, Padfoot." Sirius, doing something extremely uncharacteristic, didn't lighten up the remaining tension. Instead, he said,

"Of course I care. I just wish I could be there for your son."

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, **

"I never realized he liked us that much," Lily said.

**"I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you - one more word... "In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant,**

"That sounds so ridiculous," Remus said grinning.

"I'm upset that they didn't include it was a flowery, pink umbrella," Regulus said.

**Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent. **

"That's better," Sirius said.

**"That's better, " **

"See? I speak only the truth!"

**said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor. Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them. **

"Sounds like Lily," Severus said.

"I didn't have hundreds of questions!" Lily defended.

"Yes you did. Remember when you wanted me to tell you about the dementors?"

**"But what happened to Vol -, sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?" **

"Don't be afraid of the name, Harry!" James cried.

"He won't be," Sirius said decisively.

"It would be so pathetic if the boy who defeated Voldemort couldn't say his name," Regulus said.

**"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... He was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go? "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. **

Regulus shivered, thinking of the first time he had seen Voldemort. It had been when he'd gotten the Dark Mark.

**Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don't reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. "Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on.**

"It's amazing that _Harry _did that," Severus said, surprised.

**'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on – I dunno what it was, no one does - but somethin' about you stumped him, all right." **

"I wonder what happened," Remus said.

"Maybe if everyone didn't interrupt all the time we would find out."

**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him?**

"Why's it so hard to believe?" James asked his pureblood heritage showing.

"James, in the muggle world, witches and wizards are _fantasy_."

**How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? **

"That would have been great," James said. Regulus chuckled and said,

"It's actually kind of scary."

"What do you mean?" James asked, bewildered.

"Did Sirius never tell you about the time he accidentally turned mother into a toad?"

"We are not talking about that!" Sirius said quickly.

**If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football? **

"I can't believe Petunia let him go through that," Lily said.

"It seems your relationship only gets worse," Severus agreed.

"Thank you! That makes me feel so much better!" Lily said. Regulus broke in,

"Sorry, Lily, we can't all be little bundles of sunshine.

**"Hagrid, " he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."**

"Ahhh, denial. Lily did it, too," Severus said.

**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled. **

**"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?" **

**Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it... Every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry...**

"Wow, Prongs! Harry's so much smarter than you!" James. Ignoring the insult, wrapped an arm around Lily's shoulders and said,

"He got his mum's brains."

**Chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach... Dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back... And the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

"We _really _need to do something like that!" Sirius said.

"We know, Paddy! You've said that like four times!" Remus said loudly. James snickered.

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him. **

**"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts." **

"Yes! My boy is famous!" James sang.

"Because Voldemort murdered his parents and tried to kill him," Regulus deadpanned. James' grin faded quickly. However, Sirius, after a moment of looking shocked, said,

"You said Voldemort!"

"Course I did, brother. Did you really think I'd call him anything else? I'm not _that _scared of him."

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight. "Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books and wands and - - "**

"Oh he's going," Sirius threatened.

"Duh. Thank you Captain Obvious!" Lily said.

"We don't need your input, Lieutenant Sarcasm," Regulus said grinning.

"Shut up, Black!"

"Lily! I thought you valued my opinion!" Sirius said.

**"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him, " growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad.**

"We've already established that, Hagrid," Sirius said.

**His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change,**

"That was such a Slytherin insult," Severus said, surprised.

"What do you mean?" James asked, frowning. He couldn't imagine Hagrid as a Slytherin.

"Assuming Hagrid likes Harry, which he clearly does, saying he'll be with kids his own sort could mean with wizards, or it could mean with other _good_ kids."

"Hmm… I see what you mean…" Remus said.

**an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled - " **

"Haha, Dumbled."

"Shut up, Sirius!"

**"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL To TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon. **

"That's not going to bode well for Hagrid," Regulus said.

"It never does," Remus added.

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER, " he thundered, "- INSULT-ALBUS-DUMBLEDORE-IN-FRONT-OF-ME!"**

"That is a terrible way to get Hagrid angry. Remember when Mulciber insulted Dumbledore and Hagrid heard? It was the first time I've ever seen Hagrid give detention," Severus said.

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley - there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. **

"Hope it hurt," Regulus said viciously.

"Oi! That's my nephew!" Lily said loudly. Regulus glanced at her, shocked because of her defense. Lily glared at him for a moment, then grinned and said,

"If anyone get's to wish him pain, it's me!"

**When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers. **

"WooHoo! Go Hagrid! That's awesome!" James yelled.

"Kinda reminds me of when we gave Sniv-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Sirius!" Remus hissed. Severus acted as if he hadn't heard either of them.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them. **

"I wonder what house the Dursleys would have been in if they went to Hogwarts…" Remus wondered.

"Dursley senior's a big enough git to end up in Slytherin," James pointed out.

"Potter! That's an insult!" Severus exclaimed.

"They wouldn't be in a house," Regulus said in a 'duh' voice, "they'd be sent back to London because they aren't cool enough to be at Hogwarts!"

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard. **

"Not his beard!" Sirius wailed.

"Shut up before I get my wand back and give _you _one," Remus threatened. Luna giggled faintly, but otherwise stayed quiet.

**"Shouldn'ta lost me temper, " he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do. "**

"Nice one, Hagrid!" James exclaimed. Sirius snickered,

"I like how he didn't even react to the Dursleys' rigorous fleeing of the room."

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows. "Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts, " he said. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - oneo' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job" **

"It would be _terrible _not to be able to do magic. I can't even remember a time before I did accidental magic," Lily said. Remus nodded and said,

"For the longest time, I thought I wouldn't be allowed into Hogwarts. I had kinda resigned myself to not being able to use magic."

"Why wouldn't you be allowed?" Lily asked curiously.

"Er…"

"It's because he's half crup!" James exclaimed.

"What?"

"Yeah! That's why he's so loyal! We just have to keep him away from muggles!" Sirius said. Remus scowled at them. Regulus snickered and said,

"C'mon, Remus, let's see your forked tail!"

"**Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry. **

"You know," Lily said thoughtfully. "Harry's taking this a lot better than I did. When it was all explained to me, I busted out laughing and asked Severus if he wanted me to call a doctor for him." Severus let out a laugh,

"I remember that! You were also affronted when I called you a witch!"

"Yeah, well," Lily said sheepishly, "You popped out from behind a tree and blurted it out. You have to remember I didn't know you back then."

"I guess it wasn't my smartest idea. I think I remember that Petunia screamed and ran away when I came out."

"Mate, everyone runs in the opposite direction when they see you," Regulus said, putting a hand on Severus' shoulder.

"Then why are you always with me?" Severus retorted.

"Because I've been trying to hide the truth from you."

**"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth.**

"I remember him telling this to us, once," Remus asked.

"Do you know why?" Regulus asked, curiously.

"No!" Remus said, glaring at James for some reason.

**In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore. "**

Regulus, sounding amused, asked Sirius,

"Remember all the stuff about Dumbledore our parents told us?"

"Your parents," Sirius snapped, annoyed by the mention of his old family. Regulus' grin faded slightly and he didn't finish what he had been about to say.

**"Why were you expelled?" **

"Harry, that's rude," Lily pouted. Sirius snorted loudly. "What, Sirius?" Lily asked.

"Jamesie-boy here asked Hagrid the exact same thing in first year."

"James!" Lily reprimanded.

"Sorry, Lily, but that was _before _I became so nice and mature."

"And we're still waiting for that day to come…" Severus said, shaking his head in mock-sadness.

"Oi! I'll have you know that I am very mature!"

"Just keep telling yourself that, Prongsie," Sirius said.

"At the very least, I'm better than _you_," James said, pointing to Sirius. Regulus laughed,

"Point there!"

**"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow, " said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that. "**

"Woohoo! DIAGON ALLEY!" Sirius shouted.

"We KNOW, Padfoot!" Remus said loudly.

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry. "You can kip under that, "**

"That's nice," James said with a smile.

**he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets.**

"Lovely," Regulus drawled out.

"At least it's something," Lily informed him, "Dursley didn't give him anything."

"True, true," Regulus admitted.

"Let's keep going," Remus said. "Who wants to read?"

* * *

**_HI! Thanks for the continued support I've recieved with this! Please review! It really helps to motivate me! I can't predict when the next chapter will be up, sorry. I'm pretty busy, and these take a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time. I spent at least ten hours on this._**

**_I do not own Harry Potter!_**


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